Directors: Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer
On the day of his scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer gets a psychiatric evaluation during which he claims he is a demon, and further claims that before their time is over, the psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own.
If you intend watching ‘Nefarious’ at movie night, choose your audience wisely. The subject matter is prone to controversy and guaranteed to divide your audience, if to be analyzed.
I generally don’t like movies with too much dialogue, so who would have thought a film set in a single room with only two characters having a conversation would be this captivating? I was glued to the screen from beginning to end!
After Dr Alan Fischer’s suicide, Dr James Martin is sent at short notice to do a psychiatric evaluation of mass murderer Brady, who is to be executed. Dr James must determine whether he is insane, or fit to be executed. On arrival, Brady claims to be a demon. Needless to say, James does not believe him and starts the evaluation process. As we soon discover, Brady is possessed by a demon and James has the opportunity to talk to both victim and host.
‘Nefarious’ is a dialogue-heavy movie, but it was always interesting and is well written. Sean Patrick Flanery’s performance of Brady and Nefarious is fantastic, and he absolutely sold the character(s) to me. Jordan Belfi was just as good as James, who – as we discover – is not quite as innocent as he appears to be.
There are plenty of surprises in store. The film also challenges the viewer’s beliefs, and there’s the age-old argument whether you believe in heaven and hell, and whether they are actual places or a state of mind. Either way, by the end of the movie you will have plenty of food for thought. This was indeed a nice surprise and I enjoyed it. If Christian horror is not your thing, or you are offended by potential blasphemous dialogue, I won’t recommend ‘Nefarious’.
Would I watch it again? Yes.
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